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During a recent class with senior adults I had the opportunity to ask them about one behavior they changed related to their nutrition practices in 2014. After much of a discussion, the very bubbly Maria, remember one! Yes, she said, “I remember what you said about using garlic powder instead of garlic salt.” And why is that? , I asked. Well “We all know that we need to reduce the amount of salt we consume every day, especially those who like me have high blood pressure and diabetes”. She continued to say: “You know that we know what to do, but it is hard, but now when I go to the store I prefer the garlic or onion powder instead of the salt versions”. The rest of the group started to make comments about the class we had earlier about cutting the salt….. I was very please to noticed what they learned about sodium and that they were willing to make changes.

During the Holidays we will prepare all of our favorite recipes and some of them will call for salt. Try to reduce the amount you use by a 1/4 or a 1/2 There are many spices we can use instead, for food preparation. Some examples include the following: allspice for tomatoes, cayenne for vegetables, cloves for winter squash and holiday drinks, ginger for poultry, basil for vegetables and pasta salad, oregano for pork, rosemary for cauliflower and tarragon for potatoes. Which one is your favorite?

A couple of hints should be considered. If you are trying new spices to prepare your recipes make few changes until you discover if you like the taste. Buy a few, especially because they tend to be expensive. Consider a visit your local dollar store where you can find a good variety at a good price. Keep your spices in a dry place and try to use them within a year. They will also last longer if you store them inside the freezer. Prepare your stews, soups, salads and sauces a day ahead so the flavors can blend. Since we are about too celebrate the holidays I have a little treat for our readers. If you post a comment on our blog mentioning which one is your favorite spice and how you use it, you will be enter in a drawing of a set of spices, courtesy of bilingualopinions! Let’s the spices flow and happy cooking!!!